A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has called for an independent investigation regarding the alleged forged results of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate, Ejikeme Mmesoma.
Ejikeme was accused by the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB) of falsely inflating her scores to receive a N3 million scholarship from Innoson Motors.
However, the student cried out in protest in a video stating that she has always been a brilliant girl and she is incapable of falsifying her results.
Ezekwesili added that she has already reached out to the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.
“This saga between Mmesoma Ejikeme and @JAMBHQ requires an Independent Tech investigation to unearth all facts. Listening to her in this video, it is reasonable to request a forensic investigation to help reveal what really happened. I have reached out to the Registrar of JAMB,” she tweeted.
In the video, Ejikeme can be seen holding up a result sheet while stating that, that is her result as printed from the JAMB portal, with the aggregate score of 362.
“I am the owner of this result. I went to the JAMB portal to print this result and this is what they gave me, this is the result here. So, this is my aggregate; 362, this is exactly how I printed it. Saying that I forged my result is what I don’t know and I am traumatized that they accused me of forging my own results because I am not capable of this.”
“They scanned the QR code and said it showed another name (Omotola Afolabi 138) and that same person that got 138, they checked again the person got 338, meaning that there is a problem somewhere,” she said.
She narrated how she went to the office of the Commissioner of Education with her school principal, where the result was sent to JAMB officials for verification.
It was then reported back that her result was fake, after which officials from the Department of State Services (DSS) called her to their offices.
“My principal and I went to the Commissioner of Education’s office last Friday. We showed the result to the commissioner of education and she snapped it and sent it to the JAMB officials. They called back saying it is a forged result. They called the DSS over to their office. The DSS took us to their office and we made our statement. They said we would be contacted later after investigating the result where it came from.
“Instead of them to wait for the investigation to be over, they posted that I forged my result without confirming. I’m really sad. Since my nursery school, I have been taking first. I scored over 300 in my common entrance. I’m a brilliant girl. I am not an illiterate that would forge results,” she lamented.
THE WHISTLER reported earlier today that the Head of Corporate Communications at Innoson Group, Cornel Osigwe, faulted JAMB for claiming the student’s results were fake.
“That girl was one of the most brilliant in her school, according to the Principal, her parents couldn’t even afford to pay for her WAEC and NECO Exams. Of what advantage will it offer her to manipulate her JAMB score? Let the poor breathe, please.
“The girl I met doesn’t have the brain and capacity to manipulate her result. There is more to this story. A proper investigation needs to be done,” he tweeted.
Central Bank of Nigeria has reacted to the recent announcement of increment in rate charged by Point of Sale operators in Nigeria.
Recall that on Friday June 30, the PRO, AMMBAN, Lagos Chapter, Stephen Adeoye, declared on Channels Television’s Business Morning programme, that the association has come up with a new price list for PoS agents operating in the state.
He said, “Let me tell you the price list, N1000–N2,400 will be N100 for withdrawal. N3500 to N4000 will be N200; N4,100 to N6,400 will be N300; N6,500 to N7,900 will be N400; N8500 to N10,900 will be N500; N11,000 to N14,000 will be N600; N14,500 to N17,900 will be N700; N18,000 to N2000 will N800 for withdrawal.”
In an interview with The PUNCH, the National Public Relations Officer, Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria, Oluwasegun Elegbede, said Point of Sale agents are already meeting with stakeholders across the country to agree on changes in transaction charges for PoS services.
The implementation of the new PoS charges has begun in Lagos, Ogun, and Edo states, Elegbede said.
According to him, other states are working to follow in Lagos’s footsteps and increase transaction charges.
Justifying the increase in prices by the Lagos chapter of the organisation, Elegbede, said PoS agents are adjusting their prices to reflect the country’s current economic realities.
He said, “Yes, it is something that is expected to happen nationally, looking at business last year and the current economic realities, it is very important that we also continue to stay in business.
“Every other thing in the market has gone up, and we operate in the same market as every other business. Basically, the source of our business, the funding, the operational cost, and payment of staff is borne by us.”
He stated that agents need to increase their prices if they are to continue to stay in business. He argued, “We have to increase prices if we want to continue to stay in business, we need to balance cost. It will cut across all states. What we agreed on at the national level is that each state should come up with something that is realistic in their state, we cannot dictate prices for the state.”
“The new rates are needed because of the current situation of the country. But it will still be very much affordable for the populace because we are also aware of our role in the economy.”
This move by AMMBAN is in defiance of the Central Bank of Nigeria, which recently released emergency telephone numbers for Nigerians to report PoS agents charging above N200 for withdrawal of amounts up to N10,000.
Commenting on the increase, the Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Isa AbdulMumin, noted that CBN was aware of the move by PoS agent to increase transaction charges.
“CBN is very much aware and working towards resolving the issue.” Punch quoted him as saying.
According to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, there were 1.8 million PoS deployed machines as of the end of March 2023. Also, more Nigerians have begun to depend on PoS services with transaction value hitting an all-time high of N1.15tn as of the end of March 2023
Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda has established a treasury single account (TSA) to manage all state finances.
This was stated in an executive order: KTSLN NO: 0012023, titled “Treasury Single Account Direction Notice”, and signed by the governor on July 3, 2023.
In the exercise of the powers conferred upon me by the provisions of Section 5(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I, Dikko Umaru Radda, PhD., Governor of Katsina State do hereby make the following:-
This Notice may be cited as Treasury Single Account Direction Notice, and shall be deemed to have come into force on the 3rd day of July 2023.
Without prejudice to Section 120 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) all revenues and monies accruing and forming the Consolidated Revenue Fund including funds from Excess Crude Account, grants or donation for Katsina State shall be paid into a unified account to be referred to as Treasury Single Account out of which all expenditure incurred or approved to be incurred shall be defrayed or paid.
The Accountant General shall prescribe the frame work within which Ministries, Departments and Agencies shall conduct their bank/cash management under the Treasury Single Account regime.
The Commissioner for Finance, Accountant General and the Auditor General shall ensure compliance to this Direction, the order read in full.
Radda promised to introduce the TSA in his inaugural address, saying it was to consolidate the state’s finances in order to strengthen accountability and close all loopholes in our financial system.
“Leakages in payroll, overheads, and capital projects will be targeted until we eradicate them to ensure that public finances are managed efficiently for the benefit of the people,” the governor said during his address.
President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, received a delegation from Shell Petroleum Development Company at the Aso Rock in Abuja.
The Shell delegation on a courtesy call was led by the company’s Global Upstream Director, Ms Zoe Yunovic. She was joined by Peter Costello, Osagie Okunbo, and Mar De Jong.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari; as well as the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila were also at the meeting.
Others in attendance include the Special Adviser on Energy to the President, Olu Verheijen; Special Adviser on Revenue Matters to the President, Zacchaeus Adedeji; and Special Adviser on Communications, Special Duties and Strategy to the President, Dele Alake.
At the meeting, the President assured the business community of his government’s commitment to policy consistency and better business climate to attract investment.
Tinubu welcomed the the company’s offer for more investments in the Nigerian oil and gas sector, adding that such investments are needed now more than ever, to enable Government meet its obligations.
“We are open for business. We are serious. I give you the assurance of consistency in policy,” he said, according to a statement by his spokesman, Dele Alake.
The President also assured that his government was removing all forms of bottlenecks in order to ensure Nigeria becomes an attractive investment destination.
Monday’s engagement followed Tinubu’s return to base in Abuja on Sunday after a string of Sallah activities in Lagos last week.
The President had on June 22, 2023 made his first official trip overseas after his inauguration as Nigeria’s new leader on May 29, 2023.
Tinubu was in Paris, France, alongside world leaders like French President, Emmanuel Macron for the New Global Financial Pact summit held at the Palais Brongniart.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has slammed a three-year ban on Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme, who is embroiled in the controversy of who scored the highest mark in this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, conducted by the Board.
This is just as the Board said it has also cancelled the result obtained by her in the examination.
Speaking with the Vanguard, yesterday evening, the spokesman of the Board, Dr. Benjamin Fabian, accused the lady of engaging in criminal act.
“What she did was to alter a result that was obtained by somebody in the 2021 UTME. She is banned for three years from sitting for the UTME too. That result of hers, where she scored 249, has been cancelled as well,” he said on phone.
Asked how the girl could have altered her result without connivance with somebody in the Board, Fabian said there was no hacking into the Board’s facility.
“Our results are safe and nobody has hacked into them. She only altered her results, and the QR code will always show her true result,” he added.
However, Mmesoma, in a post on her Facebook wall, denied any wrong doing.
“They are just trying to harass me and my family. After the results were released over two months ago, why is it taking them this long to say what they are saying now? Now, using the QR code is indicating another name – Omotola Afolabi – which initially showed a score of 138 and, later, 338. Somebody cannot have two different results from the same examination.
“I cannot do what they are accusing me of. I have been a brilliant girl from my Nursery School days. I scored over 300 in my common entrance examination to secondary school,” she stated.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State government has said it bust up the whole thing when it suspected that the score was fake.
This came as the chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, who earlier announced a N3 million scholarship to the girl, said she can no longer access the fund until the investigation is completed.
Mmesoma became an instant celebrity after her alleged 362 scores went viral as the overall best score in the 2023 UTME.
JAMB on Sunday, declared Mmesoma’s 362 UTME score as fake, and revealed that her score was manually inflated, as her original score was 249. JAMB also announced the immediate withdrawal of Mmesoma’s UTME score.
Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh said she was the one that raised the alarm after the girl honoured an invitation in the process of the plan by the state government to honour her.
Chuma- Udeh said that after Mmesoma’s result was published online, she invited the girl for recognition by the state government, adding that when Mmesoma brought her result, she observed that it was not directly from the JAMB printout.
According to her, it was at that point that she became suspicious, which made her get in touch with JAMB to confirm the result, stating that she was taken aback when JAMB told her that what was circulating was not its result.
She said it was at that point that her ministry turned back the girl, while JAMB began an investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, the founder of Innoson Motors, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, who announced the N3 million university scholarship award to the 16-year-old Mmesoma shortly after her result went viral, has said that with the latest development, the girl can no longer access the fund, although the money had been paid into a dedicated account.
Describing the revelation as very unfortunate, Chukwuma said he was excited when he heard that the young girl came tops in the UTME, especially when he found out that she studied in a public school.
He said: “When I was told that a student of a public school recorded the highest score in the JAMB examination, I sent for the principal of the school and the principal confirmed to me that it was true that the girl scored the mark.
“I said to myself that such a brilliant girl if properly educated, will be beneficial to our country and the world at large, so I decided to award her a scholarship so that nothing will stop her from attaining a university education.
“When I awarded her the scholarship, I deposited ¦ 3,000,000 in a dedicated bank account and told the principal that the money is strictly meant for Mmesoma’s education in the university, which means that any time she needs to pay any fee in the school, they will let me know so that I will sign for withdrawal of the money from the account. “
Mmesoma claimed to have scored 98 marks in English Language, 89 in Physics, 94 in Biology and 81 in Chemistry.
Incidentally, JAMB said the true highest scorer is also from Anambra State like Mmesoma. He is Umeh Nkechinyere with 360 marks.
Former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo said the European Union Observer Mission (EUOM) 2023 general elections report can not delegitimize the government of President Bola Tinubu.
Keyamo stated this in a statement via his verified Twitter handle on Monday.
Recall that the EUOM, in its report less than a week ago, pointed out some flaws in the general election and made recommendations to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
But, the EU’s report has been greeted with reactions and backlash from some Nigerians, including Keyamo.
Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, stated that there is no election worldwide without irregularities.
He explained that the issue is whether the supposed irregularities affected the election outcome.
According to him, the EU’s report is not a document that tells who won or lost an election.
Keyamo, a spokesperson for the defunct Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, noted that only the Judiciary can legitimize or delegitimize President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.
He stated, “It is only a forensic examination of the entire process by the judiciary that can determine the extent to which the supposed ‘irregularities’ affected the outcome of the elections. And there are legal rules already laid down to achieve this.
“The EU report is NOT (and cannot be) a document that tells you who won or lost an election. It only reports the ‘irregularities’ noticed and recommends improvement in future elections.
“Therefore, all the hoopla over that EU report is neither here nor there when it comes to legitimizing or delegitimizing the government of the day. That power or responsibility belongs to the Judiciary,” he said.
Recall INEC had declared Tinubu, the winner of the presidential election.
However, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party are currently at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, challenging the victory of Tinubu.
President Bola Tinubu on Monday told the new, Service Chiefs, the National Security Adviser, NSA, and the acting Inspector General of Police, IGP, that they should work as a team and deliver on the mandate given to them.
This is as the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has assured the President and the entire Nigerians that the security agencies will accomplish the objective of securing the country, establish peace and stability.
President Tinubu had his maiden meeting which held behind closed doors with the NSA, the Service Chiefs and the acting IGP on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the NSA, Mallam Ribadu, said that the President directed them to work as a team and deliver on their mandate.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, he said, “We’re here to thank Mr President for the opportunity he gave us to serve our country and to serve his own government. We also pledged our loyalty to him, Nigeria and Nigerians.
“We believe the choice he made is the right one, the correct one, and we know what he wants for this country. We’re going to work tirelessly to ensure that we accomplish that objective of securing our country, establishing peace, stability and let’s get our lives back.
“He gave us the assurance that he’s with us hundred percent. He told us that we must work as a team and that there’s work to be done, he’ll expect us to deliver and we’re grateful for the opportunity. That’s why we are here.”
Asked what will be the starting point of the new security heads, Mallam said, “Where we are today and you can see already things are improving in our country. If you see the record of crimes and activities of criminals are going down, it will continue to go down. We’ll secure this place.
“Nigerians have seen the quality of the people that are given opportunity, they are probably some of the best we have and they are not going to fail you, they’ll certainly deliver. Thank you very much.”
Apart from the NSA, others in attendance were the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and the Acting IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.
…Refuses To Assess Government Performance
Leader of pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has refused to recognize the administration of President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the government as non-existent.
Adebanjo spoke during an Arise TV interview monitored by THE WHISTLER refusing to comment on the performance of Tinubu about a month after he was sworn in as president.
The Afenifere leader held that the presidential elections have not been concluded with the ongoing Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
He said, “Afenifere’s stance for now is not to comment on Tinubu’s administration because we believe that the elections is not completed yet, it’s still in progress, that is why we are in court, so commenting on someone who is there and who we don’t believe should be there until the final decision of the court will be probative and reprobative.
“We are not talking about his ability, we are talking about the process of his getting there, which is flawed. How can you build something on nothing, he is enjoying a lacuna, nothing is settled until it’s finally settled, that’s our stance.
“I refuse to comment on somebody that is not existing yet until the final arbiter of the court, our party may be wrong but that is our own stance. I cant recognize him in an office that I believe don’t exist. Even if the court decides, we can still express opinions. The stance of Afenifere is that we want a free, fair and credible election and that’s what we are questioning. Even if he’s doing well, does that absolve the way he got there?” Adebanjo queried.
He added that the election of Tinubu was antithetical to the principle of power rotation, “Go and read why we support Obi, its not a question of his (Tinubu) ability or capability, its because a significant section of the country has been shortchanged, we are not paying lip service to a united Nigeria and that cannot be changed by any theory. So nothing is existing yet.”
Meanwhile, Adebanjo also clarified that Afenifere is not a socio-cultural organization, “We are a political party, called Action Group. We are a political party with a definite identity.”
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, nullified the expulsion of former Governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over alleged anti-party activities.
Justice James Omotosho, in a judgement, held that Nnamani was not given fair hearing in accordance with the PDP’s constitution.
Justice Omotosho said that going by the Article 57 of the Constitution of the PDP, it was only the National Executive Council (NEC) that can convene a disciplinary committee as against the National Working Committee (NWC), which took the decision.
The judge said that the constitution of the party stipulated that it was the NEC that was vested with the power to take disciplinary action against any erring member who is a governor, deputy governor and a serving member of the National Assembly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nnamani, who represented Enugu East Senatorial District in the 9th Senate, lost his re-election bid to a Labour Party candidate, Kelvin Chukwu, in the Feb. 25 poll.
The PDP NWC, at its 566th meeting, had expelled the former senator on Feb. 10 for allegations bordering on anti-party activities.
He was initially suspended on Jan. 20 before he was subsequently expelled.
Nnamani was alleged to have campaigned for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu, against the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
NAN reports that Tinubu was declared the winner of the Feb. 25 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling the highest votes and was sworn in as Nigeria’s president on May 29.
But Nnamani, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/163/23 filed on Feb. 6, had sued the INEC, PDP national chairman and the NWC as 1st to 3rd respondents over alleged breach of his fundamental rights to fair hearing.
In the originating summons, the plaintiff asked the court to determine whether he could be suspended without giving him the constitutional right to fair hearing.
He wanted the court to determine having regard to the provisions of Article 57 of the party, the decision of the NWC suspending him on Jan. 20 was not null and void.
He, therefore, prayed the court to declare that by virtue of the party’s constitution, the respondents did not validly conduct a disciplinary measure against him before his suspension.
Nnamani argued that besides being a serving senator, he was a two term governor of Enugu State.
He said that he was neither notified of any complaint against him nor afforded opportunity to fair hearing.
But the respondents, in a counter affidavit and a preliminary objection, sought an order dismissing the suit.
They argued that Nnamani campaigned for another political party while being a member of the PDP.
They said contrary to his argument, the party had the power to suspend him having being found to engage in anti-party activities.
They further argued that the issues bordered on the internal affairs of the party which the court lacked the jurisdiction to determine.
Justice Omotosho said that though the Supreme Court held that the issue of party membership, etc, was within the party’s jurisdiction and a no-go area to the courts, he said Section 46(2) of the 1999 Constitution vested the power on the court to hear alleged breach of person’s rights
He cited previous cases to back his decision.
“This court will not dabble into the internal affairs of party but will restrict itself to whether the fundamental right of the plaintiff has been breached,” he said.
He said though these rights are not absolute, they are entrenched in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, and that the African Charter on Peoples Rights also makes provisions for fundamental rights.
The judge agreed that a member of a political party must abide by its rules and regulation, having freely submitted himself to its rules, he however said that the court would only interfer where the party had violated its own rules and regulation.
He observed that Articles 4 and 5 of the PDP gave provisions for fair hearing to erring members.
According to him, fair hearing is giving equal opportunity to parties and where fair hearing has been done, a party cannot complain.
“But the complaint of the plaintiff is that he was not giving fair hearing,” he said, in accordance with Article 57 of the party’s constitution.
“The law is clear that specific provisions override general provisions,” he said.
He said the available fact before the court was that the NWC, at its 566th meeting, considered all the allegations against Nnamani and approved his suspension for one month.
Besides, the judge also observed that it was the NWC that expelled him on Feb. 10 in a press release.
Omotosho, who said that this was a gross violation of the party’s constitution, held that this had rendered all the actions null and avoid.
He said the court was convinced that the plaintiff had been able to establish his case against the respondents.
Justice Omotosho consequently gave an order nullifying the decision of the PDP NWC that was taken on Feb. 10, expelling the ex-lawmaker.(NAN)
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, nullified the expulsion of former Governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over alleged anti-party activities.
Justice James Omotosho, in a judgement, held that Nnamani was not given fair hearing in accordance with the PDP’s constitution.
Justice Omotosho said that going by the Article 57 of the Constitution of the PDP, it was only the National Executive Council (NEC) that can convene a disciplinary committee as against the National Working Committee (NWC), which took the decision.
The judge said that the constitution of the party stipulated that it was the NEC that was vested with the power to take disciplinary action against any erring member who is a governor, deputy governor and a serving member of the National Assembly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nnamani, who represented Enugu East Senatorial District in the 9th Senate, lost his re-election bid to a Labour Party candidate, Kelvin Chukwu, in the Feb. 25 poll.
The PDP NWC, at its 566th meeting, had expelled the former senator on Feb. 10 for allegations bordering on anti-party activities.
He was initially suspended on Jan. 20 before he was subsequently expelled.
Nnamani was alleged to have campaigned for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu, against the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
NAN reports that Tinubu was declared the winner of the Feb. 25 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling the highest votes and was sworn in as Nigeria’s president on May 29.
But Nnamani, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/163/23 filed on Feb. 6, had sued the INEC, PDP national chairman and the NWC as 1st to 3rd respondents over alleged breach of his fundamental rights to fair hearing.
In the originating summons, the plaintiff asked the court to determine whether he could be suspended without giving him the constitutional right to fair hearing.
He wanted the court to determine having regard to the provisions of Article 57 of the party, the decision of the NWC suspending him on Jan. 20 was not null and void.
He, therefore, prayed the court to declare that by virtue of the party’s constitution, the respondents did not validly conduct a disciplinary measure against him before his suspension.
Nnamani argued that besides being a serving senator, he was a two term governor of Enugu State.
He said that he was neither notified of any complaint against him nor afforded opportunity to fair hearing.
But the respondents, in a counter affidavit and a preliminary objection, sought an order dismissing the suit.
They argued that Nnamani campaigned for another political party while being a member of the PDP.
They said contrary to his argument, the party had the power to suspend him having being found to engage in anti-party activities.
They further argued that the issues bordered on the internal affairs of the party which the court lacked the jurisdiction to determine.
Justice Omotosho said that though the Supreme Court held that the issue of party membership, etc, was within the party’s jurisdiction and a no-go area to the courts, he said Section 46(2) of the 1999 Constitution vested the power on the court to hear alleged breach of person’s rights
He cited previous cases to back his decision.
“This court will not dabble into the internal affairs of party but will restrict itself to whether the fundamental right of the plaintiff has been breached,” he said.
He said though these rights are not absolute, they are entrenched in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, and that the African Charter on Peoples Rights also makes provisions for fundamental rights.
The judge agreed that a member of a political party must abide by its rules and regulation, having freely submitted himself to its rules, he however said that the court would only interfer where the party had violated its own rules and regulation.
He observed that Articles 4 and 5 of the PDP gave provisions for fair hearing to erring members.
According to him, fair hearing is giving equal opportunity to parties and where fair hearing has been done, a party cannot complain.
“But the complaint of the plaintiff is that he was not giving fair hearing,” he said, in accordance with Article 57 of the party’s constitution.
“The law is clear that specific provisions override general provisions,” he said.
He said the available fact before the court was that the NWC, at its 566th meeting, considered all the allegations against Nnamani and approved his suspension for one month.
Besides, the judge also observed that it was the NWC that expelled him on Feb. 10 in a press release.
Omotosho, who said that this was a gross violation of the party’s constitution, held that this had rendered all the actions null and avoid.
He said the court was convinced that the plaintiff had been able to establish his case against the respondents.
Justice Omotosho consequently gave an order nullifying the decision of the PDP NWC that was taken on Feb. 10, expelling the ex-lawmaker.
(NAN)
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reappointed Mr. Gboyega Akosile, as his Chief Press Secretary (CPS).
The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
The appointment according to the Head of Service takes immediate effect.
Before his reappointment, Akosile had served as the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu during his first term. He was also the Media Adviser to the Governor since the inception of the second term of Babajide Sanwo-Olu's administration on May 29, 2023.
Signed
Hakeem Muri-Okunola
Head of Service
Lagos State Government.
More...
Prices of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol have reportedly been reduced at some private depots.
Naija News gathered that the Secretary, Abuja-Suleja, of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Mohammed Shuaibu made the revelation to The Punch.
According to him, the cost of fuel is set to come down in the coming weeks, given that more marketers including the independent markets would soon join the importation of the product.
He confirmed that some private depot owners were already cutting down the cost of the commodity, lower than the rate being sold by the NNPCL.
According to him, IPMAN was ready to compete with the NNPCL and major marketers to force down the cost of petrol nationwide.
He submitted that “The sector has been deregulated and, of course, if you have the power you will go and import. It is not going to be only the major marketers, independent marketers are also picking interest and there will be competition
“And, of course, I know that sooner than later, the price of petrol will be forced down, particularly once the products from marketers start hitting the country from next week. This is because market forces will now determine the price.
“It is not going to be solely imported by NNPCL again, for instance, this week, the private depots reduced their prices, different from what NNPCL is selling. So there is a reduction lower than what NNPC is selling.
“With time there will be healthy competition. We know major marketers are expecting products in weeks and we will compete with them when our products start coming. This will further reduce petrol prices.
“People are lamenting. The price was raised by over three times its previous cost, coupled with the economic crisis in the country. So the patronage has been very, very poor.”
Recall that last month, the Chief Executive, of Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, said some newly licensed importers of petrol were expecting their cargoes in July.
“The market is open already, we have to follow the regulations. So we have rolled out user-friendly policies. Some of them (marketers) have already started putting their applications in place. This is because we don’t want to create a gap.
“NNPCL is slowing down on their importation, so we have to have someone who is closing up on that gap that NNPCL is creating in order not to have a shortage in the country.
“But NNPCL is also monitoring the replacements that they have. We agreed that NNPCL will continue to import until such a time when we have a critical mass of other importers,” Ahmed had stated in Abuja.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has issued a stern warning that individuals found guilty of forging its discharge or exemption certificates could face imprisonment, fines, or both as penalties.
The Director of Legal Services, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, delivered this message during the 2023 Legal Officers’ Capacity Building Training held in Abuja.
The training centred around the theme “The Role of the Legal Officer in the Defence of the Public Service in Nigeria.” Ibrahim emphasized that all the infractions related to the NYSC Act should be well-known. “The infractions are many, like forging the NYSC certificates,” he stated.
Ibrahim further explained that some individuals who are required to participate in the youth service fail to do so, while others abandon the service before completion. These actions are in direct violation of the NYSC Act, which clearly outlines the appropriate measures to be taken in such cases.
The Director of Legal Services also highlighted instances where individuals attempt to attend orientation camps with forged documents. Once caught, they are arrested by the police and face prosecution. While there are ongoing cases related to such offences, the exact number of incidents cannot be determined at this time.
“The punishment, first of all, is to arrest them. The police will now charge them to court, and it is now left for the courts to decide if it is imprisonment or fine,” Ibrahim explained. He further added that the court has the discretion to determine the length of imprisonment, ranging from two years to three years, or the option of a fine, or both.
Regarding the involvement of Corps Producing Institutions (CPIs) in these infractions, Ibrahim stated that if such institutions submit names of unqualified corps members, they are considered guilty and will be taken to court. The court, in its discretion, will determine the appropriate punishment for the institutions involved.
However, Ibrahim clarified that delisting the institutions is not the immediate action taken. The institutions are still allowed to submit the names of their intending corps members for mobilization. He expressed concern about the rising frequency of such infractions, which continue to occur on a daily basis.
The primary objective of the training, according to Ibrahim, was to ensure that members of the public have a clear understanding of the provisions of the NYSC Act. He emphasized the importance of promoting compliance and educating individuals about their rights and responsibilities.
Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, the Director-General of NYSC, conveyed his policy thrust of enhancing capacity building to stimulate efficiency and higher corporate performance within the scheme. Represented by Ibrahim, he stated that the training aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of legal officers in the defence of the Public Service in Nigeria.
Ahmed acknowledged the significant contributions of the Legal Unit in providing quality legal advice to the NYSC management and effectively handling cases involving the scheme in various courts. He expressed confidence that the training would further strengthen the values of the scheme and contribute to the professional growth of legal officers.
The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control(NAFDAC) has refuted the claim that semolina contains plastic materials adding that scientific analysis of the food product showed that the woman’s claim in a video is not true.
The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye in a statement on Monday said the attention of the Agency has been drawn to a social media video showing a woman washing Golden Penny Semovita in a sieve using cold water.
“The woman claimed that the residue she got after sieving was plastic. A similar video was shown in 2020 and that led to a Press Release similar to this.”
“Upon receiving the alerts from various quarters in the community in 2020, the Director General immediately gave a directive to conduct emergency post-marketing analysis using different brands of Semolina.”
“The Agency investigated this claim by conducting appropriate analytical testing in her internationally accredited laboratories. The results showed that there was no plastic or any similar harmful contaminants in Golden Penny Semovita.”
“It contained the expected components plus the required Vitamin A. NAFDAC, therefore, wishes to inform the general public that the claim in the social media video assertions is misleading.”
“The alleged Golden Penny Semovita is a brand of semolina, a very popular flour made from wheat and consumed in several parts of the world. Semolina contains mainly water, carbohydrates and about 13% of gluten-forming proteins.”
“Gluten is made up of two classes of proteins – glutenin and gliadin, which upon addition of water combine to form gluten, a protein that gives nutritive value and imparts other characteristic properties to the product.”
“Glutenin normally gives a bread dough the ability to rise during baking while gliadin gives it the viscous and elastic (viscoelastic) properties, or it simply makes it extensible and elastic.”
“This latter property is the rubbery/plastic-like appearance that was exhibited in the said video. Semolina has no plastic content in it; it only exhibits viscous and elastic properties. The rubbery-like material that was observed in the video after many washings with water is the gluten that formed after the gluten-forming proteins get mixed with water.”
“Golden Penny Semovita is manufactured by Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc., a registered company which has been granted marketing authorization by NAFDAC to manufacture the product and offer it for sale in Nigeria.”
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed that banks’ total assets from April 2022 to April 2023 rose by N16.65 representing a 25.88 per cent adding that Industry credit also increased by N4.54 trillion during the period under review.
The Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, CBN, Aisha Ahmad, and a member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the CBN, Adeola Adenikinju disclosed this in their personal statements at the CBN MPC meeting held in May.
They added that Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) ratio declined to 4.4 per cent in April 2023 from 4.5 per cent in March 2022, which is further below the regulatory benchmark of 5 per cent.
According to Adenikinju, “Total Assets of the banking industry grew by N16.65 trillion or 25.88 per cent between April 2022 and April 2023. Industry credit increased by N4.54 trillion or 17.40 per cent between end April 2022 and end-April 2023. Gross credit has been on an upward trajectory since 2019. Total industry deposits increased by N8.84 trillion or 21.4 per cent between the end of April 2022 and April 2023.”
He added that the stress tests conducted on the industry show that it can weather the major risks and vulnerabilities in the system.
He noted that the financial soundness indicators remain positive and that the banking system remains strong, sound, and resilient.
“The capital adequacy ratio (CAR) stood at 12.8 per cent in April 2023, still within the prudential requirement of between 10 per cent – 15 per cent. Non-performing loans (NPLs) ratio declined from 4.5 per cent in March 2023 to 4.4 per cent in April 2023.
“Liquidity ratio (LR) rose to 45.3 per cent in April 2023, from 43.8 per cent in March 2023. This is above the minimum 30 per cent recommended by the prudential requirement, ”he said.
However, he warned that cost to operating income declined marginally from 70.6 per cent to 70.5 per cent between March and April 2023 urging it be addressed as in other climes, “the ratio is 23.5 per cent in Turkey, 50.6 per cent in Brazil, 41.0 per cent in Malaysia, 62.0 per cent in South Africa, 43.2 per cent in Angola, 35.2 per cent in Egypt, Kenya is 45.2 per cent and Ghana, 46.1 per cent.”
On her part, Ahmad stated: “Industry credit increased by N4.54 trillion between end-April 2022 and 2023 with significant portions of the credit granted to output elastic sectors (manufacturing, general commerce, agriculture, information, and communication), and has been in an upward trajectory since 2019, yet the monthly trend in credit growth declined from 1.31per cent in March 2023 to 0.05 per cent in April 2023. Lending rates also remain high in response to the contractionary monetary policy stance. These developments point to the importance of balanced actions in the pursuit of the price stability mandate.
“Industry soundness indicators also remain strong as of April 2023, with capital adequacy ratio at 12.8 per cent, non-performing loans ratio at 4.4 per cent from 5.3 per cent in April 2022 and liquidity ratio at 45.3 per cent above the 30.0 per cent minimum even as credit to the real sector continued to grow.”
She also added that stress test results showed that industry solvency and liquidity positions could withstand mild to moderate shocks in the short to medium term.
“Nonetheless, the sector must continue to build adequate capital buffers – ongoing implementation of the Basel III capital standards (which prescribes additional capital buffers) are relevant in this regard,” she added.
On his part, the Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Directorate, Dr. Kingsley Obiora stated: “The continuous decline in NPL was attributable to write-offs, restructuring of facilities, Global Standing Instruction (GSI) and sound credit risk management. Consequently, total gross credit increased by N4.54 trillion, representing an increase of 19.71 per cent between the end of April 2022 and the end of April 2023, from N26.10 trillion to N30.64 trillion, due to the increase in the industry funding base, the CBN’s directive on Loan-to-Deposit Ratio (LDR), and business strategy and competition. The credit growth was largely recorded in key sectors of the economy, including oil and gas, manufacturing, general commerce, and government.”